Door Industry Journal - Summer 2020

THE door industry journal summer 2020 Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk OPEN DOORS Let’s get going again….. The last few months have certainly been unusual. In the case of dhf a considerable amount of our time has been occupied on relaying guidance to our members about how they can continue to operate during the Covid -19 crisis. Things are slowly returning to normal, or to be more precise, moving towards the ‘new normal’-whatever that turns out to be. At the moment it is difficult to imagine life as we knew it, without masks, screens and visors. But we have to remain positive and devise new ways of working in the changed environment. And there are some positives. As far as dhf is concerned the Zoom meetings have proved popular with our members, saving them travelling time and money. And the introduction of our Distance Learning Programme has been well received. This supplements the face to face training courses held at our Training Academy at Shuttington. Also we have started the launch of our Reach Out programme with the first interactive Zoom seminar which is specifically aimed at the owners and managers of Industrial Doors, Garage Doors, Powered Gates and Traffic Barriers. This is a free service available for dhf members customers. Yes life is different, but we have to get on with it. We have to get back to more like our normal service…….training , education, raising standards and not least of all doing our best to eliminate non compliant, unsafe installations. Bob Perry, dhf CEO A regular comment column, brought to you by Bob Perry, CEO, Door and Hardware Federation For more information, please visit www.dhfonline.org.uk SOMMER-Doco Staff Update In early March this year, Amy Fisher was appointed Managing Director of SOMMER-DOCO UK and has skilfully led the company through this unpredictable, turbulent time. Commenting on her appointment, Amy said: “I was delighted to take on the role of Managing Director for SOMMER DOCO UK, bringing my industry experience and broad skill set to the role. The added curveball of a global pandemic has certainly made the start an interesting one. I am excited for what the future holds for us and the journey the UK team will take. We have a great UK team, and we work for a very forward-thinking company so the future for us is definitely exciting.” Just before lockdown, also welcomed were two new members of the SOMMER-DOCO UK team. Gavin Thornett and Robin Walker who joined as Customer Support Administrators, bringing complementary skills to the business from two very different backgrounds. Gavin Thornett joins from a hospitality background with operations, sales, and practical experience. Gavin speaking about his new role said: “I am happy to join the Sommer-DOCO family. The team have made both myself and Robin feel welcome, and Amy has been incredibly supportive throughout the pandemic. It is a new industry for me, but I feel I have settled in well and I look forward to what the future holds with SOMMER-DOCO.” Robin Walker brings strong customer service, marketing, and IT experience. Robin had this to say: “The garage door industry is new to me and there has been a steep learning curve! SOMMER-DOCO have been a great company to work for during this crazy year – providing remote training to everyone while we were working from home and making myself and Gavin feel like valued employees despite only being here a short time. I’ve picked up the marketing side of things, so if you have any photos of SOMMER installations please send them over to me to put on the socials!” The team would love to talk to you about their products and services, so please call: 01904 608787 or email: sales@doco-international.com . (Left to Right) Robin Walker, Amy Fisher, Gavin Thornett